Options Given
by Louise Ellis
Summary: A discussion before Rusty's options are given to him.


"I said, no." Sharon said quietly, pinning each of the men in front of her with her gaze for a moment before turning her chair around so she could stare out the window, effectively shutting them out. "And you won't mention it to him. Either of you."

"Captain..." At the look he received from the other man, Taylor shut his mouth and shook his head slightly before turning and leaving her office, shaking his head at the others gathered in the squad room as he continued down the hall.

"It's a viable option." Provenza stated softly. "You know it, and you need to accept we should present him with it as a third option."

"It's not a viable option." Turning her chair only enough to pick up the cup sitting on her desk, she returned her gaze to the skyline. "And no, we will not tell him about the...other letters."

"Sharon." He stepped forward, dropping his voice. "He's given his so called protection the slip how many times, granted to just go to the park out there to play chess, but still, he's a teenager. One who's been impressed enough of the severity of what he did to respect the situation."

"He's to be given the two options." She clutched the cup in her hands, trying to warm them. "He is not going to be...used by us to flush out the writer."

"So what?" Coming around to her side, he gazed down at her. "You keep him locked up in so called safety while you use yourself as a target?"

"I can take care..." He interrupted her.

"Of yourself. We know." Provenza sighed. "Sharon, you want to protect him, we know that, and we want to as well. But, you have to understand...he isn't like your other two kids..." As her eyes flew to meet his, he shrugged. "C'mon, even we sort of acknowledge him as your kid."

"I'm just his foster..." As her door closed, she turned her head slightly and sighed. "What?"

"Rusty just got here." Flynn came around her desk to flank her other side. "Figured you might not want him hearing about the option you don't want him to know exists."

"It doesn't." She stated flatly.

"Sharon," at the use of her first name, she blinked and focused on Provenza, who was gazing down at her. "Sharon, you're more than his foster mother, just as we're more than just the squad who needs him as a witness. Even Emma acknowledges that now. But, he's not like your other two kids. He's only had the security you've been able to provide him, a home, regular routine, familiar faces that don't want him for whatever reason for these past months, not since birth. That being said..." he glanced at Flynn, who continued.

"That being said," Flynn shifted the toothpick in his mouth, "he's more accustomed to having to think on his feet, to look past the outer facades of people, than most kids his age or older have had to learn to do. He's strong enough to want to do it."

"He's had to rely on himself his entire life." Sharon stated bitterly, "I was trying to give him something other than that."

"You have given him something other than that." Provenza looked over his shoulder and gazed at Rusty, hunched over a book. "You've given him another option. But, he's also still a teenager."

"Exactly." Sharon whispered. "He's a teenager, not a police officer, not even of legal age yet."

"You don't want him to know about the option because you know he'll take it." Flynn shook his head. "He either goes away and you lose your son, or he stays here under basic house arrest with no contact with anyone. He's either miserable or miserable. Either way, he continues to feel guilty for not telling anyone sooner about the letters, a mistake he's made and realized...but even when he was withholding the letters he had control of something..."

"And Sharon, you not letting him know about the other letters is your way of keeping control." Provenza shook his head. "I know you think you're doing what's best, but he needs to know there's a third option."

"And if you don't, you know he'll figure it out himself." Flynn stated softly, "he's a smart kid. One with a lot of time to think."

"He is a smart kid." Sharon shook her head and sipped at her tea, making a face at the cold liquid.

"Here." Taking the cup from her, Flynn moved to the table in the corner and picked up a carafe, pouring hot water into a fresh mug after placing a teabag in it while the conversation continued behind him.

"If he..." Sharon sighed. "If he figures it out, then we can talk about it, however I still want you and Taylor to only present the two options."

"You can't make sure he's going to stay close to you by only presenting the two options." Provenza ran his hand over his head with a sigh. "But..."

"If things...develop," Sharon looked up at him. "Then perhaps. And you are under no circumstances to tell him about the letters. He knows they've continued, but..."

"With the option of telling him about them in the future." He gingerly rested his hand on her shoulder. "Sharon, you keeping them from him..."

"I know. Just as he did." She sighed. "But...we're now staying ahead of whoever it is, and I've agreed to the additional patrols."

"We'll stick to the two options." Provenza sighed. "For now."

"Thank you." Sharon smiled up at him, a wan lifting of her lips as he awkwardly patted her shoulder before leaving the office, closing the door behind him as he beckoned to Rusty.

"Here." Flynn handed her the fresh cup of tea.

"Thank you." She took the cup and glanced out at the squad room, briefly meeting Rusty's eyes before he grimaced and followed Provenza out of the room, his two 'watchers' following close behind.

"You know he'll choose to stay with you." Flynn stated softly.

"Not if he thinks he'll be protecting me by leaving." Sharon sipped at the tea. "He won't realize that no matter if he leaves or not, we're on this...cretin's radar."

"Cretin?" He chuckled. "Your education is showing."

"Hey, I came up on the streets just like you." She shook her head at him.

"Yeah." He grinned at her. "Just like Louie and me."

"So I took a side exit." Her shoulders shrugged as she sipped her tea. "Still got here."

"So you did." Flynn's gaze wandered out the window. "Still think you..."

"I know." Sharon sobered, "I just don't want to put him in any more danger."

"He'd do it for you. He loves you, you know that." Reaching forward, he moved one of the blinds out of the way to take a better look at the view.

"He cares for me." She traced the top of the cup with her finger. "I know that. I know he trusts me..."

"Sharon," at the tone in his voice, she looked up at him. "He'll tell you, in his way, when he's ready. You did."

She swallowed, her throat suddenly tight. "I did."

"So will he." He nodded at her, their eyes locking for a long moment.

"Thank you." She smiled slightly and raised her cup to her lips again, relaxing back into her chair.

"You're welcome." Flynn stepped back and moved toward the door. Pausing as he reached for the knob, he looked over his shoulder. "But, just in case, you do still have that rifle in your car, right?"

"Yes, Lieutenant." She swung the chair around to smile at him. "And as you well know, Amy and I went down and re-certified two days ago."

"You score okay?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well enough to impress her." Sharon lifted her mug toward him.

"That's my...Captain." With a final grin, he opened the door and left her office, leaving the door open behind him.


End file.
